House lawmakers will be briefed Monday of a new security review recommending widespread changes to the Capitol after the January 6 uprisingThe final report calls for the hiring of more than 1,000 Capitol Police agents, a dedicated rapid response force and the installation of retractable fences around the complex, according to a design obtained by CBS News.
The study was led by former Hurricane Katrina commander and retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore and a task force made up of other former senior military officials.
The 15-page document attempts to streamline the chain of command significant delays when deploying the National Guard during the riot.
It proposes empowering the Capitol Police to request assistance from the National Guard and outside law enforcement officials in “extraordinary emergencies” without prior approval from the Capitol Police Board.
The board, which oversees the department, consists of the armed sergeants of the House and Senate, the Architect of the Capitol, and the Chief of the Capitol Police. Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told lawmakers at a Senate hearing last month that he had called on the National Guard two days before the riot but his request was rejected by the House Sergeant at Arms. Capitol architect Brett Blanton testified at a separate hearing that he was never contacted about the request.
Another recommendation calls for changes to Department of Defense guidelines so that the DC National Guard chief can maintain emergency authority to quell large-scale civil disturbances. Commander General William Walker told a joint Senate panel last week that he had guards on buses while waiting for Pentagon permission to send them to the Capitol on January 6.
“At the time, seconds were important, minutes, and I had to be ready to get them there as quickly as possible,” Walker testified.
The report also cites internal communication problems between the Capitol politicians who were on the scene during the attack.
“Without earphones, many officers were also unable to hear or understand radio communications due to the overwhelming noise of the crowd,” the report said. “Every officer must wear earplugs as part of his or her uniform and must be instructed to wear them. This should not be optional. ‘
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The task force advises officers to wear body cameras and proposes expanding the K9 division and restoring the police unit on horseback.
The group also suggests improved safety for members of Congress when traveling to their home districts.
Asked by CBS News if she supports the findings, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged that additional funding will be required.
“We will present to the full body and at some point decisions will be made about what is feasible,” she said. “It will take more money to protect the Capitol so people can get here.”
Pelosi commissioned the Honore review, which focuses primarily on security on the home side of the Capitol. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and other House Republicans have criticized the retired general’s selection to lead the investigation, citing his earlier statements suggesting Capitol Police agents were complicit in the uprising.
“While there may be some worthy recommendations, General Honore’s notoriously partisan bias casts doubt on the rationality to appoint him to lead this important security review,” McCarthy said in a statement.
Honore and other members of the Jan. 6 task force will brief members from both parties on Monday in three separate sessions.